Monica Reza Disappearance

Disappearance

On June 22, 2025, Monica Jacinto Reza, 60, a prominent aerospace engineer and Director of Materials Processing at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, vanished while hiking in Angeles National Forest near Mount Waterman. Reza had set out for a morning hike along Angeles Crest Highway with a companion. At approximately 9:10 AM, while the two hikers were roughly 30 feet apart, Reza smiled and waved to her companion to indicate she was fine. Moments later, when her companion looked back, Reza had vanished. No trace of her was found beyond a beanie located 600 feet below the trail. An extensive week-long search and rescue operation recovered no body and no further evidence.

Professional Background

Reza held a critical position in aerospace research and development. As Director of the Materials Processing Group at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, she oversaw advanced materials engineering. She previously worked at Aerojet Rocketdyne, where she co-invented Mondaloy—a nickel-based superalloy used in rocket engines for both civilian space programs and military applications. Her work intersected sensitive defense and aerospace technologies. She held high-level security clearances.

Federal Investigation

On April 17, 2026, nearly 10 months after her disappearance, the White House launched a formal investigation into the disappearance and deaths of multiple scientists connected to U.S. defense and space research. On April 20, 2026, the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform announced its own investigation. The FBI, in conjunction with the Department of Energy and Department of War, opened a federal investigation linking Reza's case to 10 other scientists—totaling 11 individuals—who had died or vanished since 2024, all connected to sensitive aerospace, nuclear, or defense work.

The White House and FBI launched a "holistic review" of the cases. Congress pressed Department of Energy, Department of War, FBI, and NASA for information about scientists and personnel connected to U.S. nuclear secrets and rocket technology who have mysteriously died or disappeared. No official connection between the cases has been confirmed by authorities, though speculation has mounted in media and online communities.

Notable Aspects

The circumstances of Reza's disappearance are striking: her instantaneous vanishment despite close proximity to a witness, the peculiar placement of her beanie 600 feet below the trail in difficult terrain, and the absence of remains despite intensive search efforts have fueled speculation. A geo-profiler analysis suggested her disappearance may have involved staged evidence. While investigators have not confirmed foul play, the case's inclusion in a federal inter-agency investigation into a pattern of missing scientists has drawn attention from UFO research communities, particularly those tracking unusual government activities or undisclosed aerospace programs.